weekends

SOMETIMES all you need is to get away from the stresses of life and book in a spa break.

And good news – if you’re overdue some relaxation, a spa session or overnight break doesn’t have to destroy your budget.

Whether you want a countryside spa weekend with afternoon tea, a Bristol break with breakfast and bubbly, or even to try your luck on a mystery spa voucher – we’ve got you covered.

Here’s our pick of the best spa day and overnight stays across the UK, which are all on sale or up for a very cheap price on Wowcher.

Bannatyne Spa Day – pick from 35 locations – £32.99

Book yourself in for some me-time at Bannatyne Spa, where this Wowcher offer gets you spa time, a treatment plus some goodies to take home.

Choose a 30-minute treatment from the following: a Swedish back, neck & shoulder massage, manicure, seasonal body scrub, or a tailored facial.

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Then switch off from the world and enjoy a relaxing dip in the pool.

Plus there’s 35 locations to choose from in spots like London, Norwich, Cardiff, York, Durham and more.

Save up to 66% on a spa day at Bannatyne Spa – from £32.99

Somerset spa break with breakfast and bubbly – £84

Set in the Somerset countryside, the four-star DoubleTree Cadbury House hotel makes for a stunning staycation.

The hotel has its own spa with an indoor pool, outdoor hot tub, gym, thermal suite plus plenty of spots to lay back and relax.

Pick between a one or two-night stay and enjoy a glass of bubbly on arrival, as well as a freshly-cooked breakfast each morning.

You can also choose to upgrate for an extra £20 each to enjoy dinner in the on-site Marco Pierrre White Steakhouse.

Book a spa break at the 4* DoubleTree Cadbury House from £84

Mystery spa break – £9.99

This is the ultimate lucky dip – go for a £9.99 mystery deal and you could land a spa break at over 500 luxurious locations.

You could enjoy packages such as lunch, a treatment and a smoothie at Elan Spa, plus overnight breaks for two or a fancy spa day at Shangri-La The Shard in London.

You could even land a glamorous mini spa holiday abroad, winning a city break in Paris at a five-star spa hotel for two.

Once you’ve bought the mystery voucher, you’ll be sent a link to redeem it where will you see which prize you have won.

Bag a mystery spa voucher for £9.99

Four-star Essex Spa Day with Lunch included – £69

Bag a spa day with lunch at the four-star Greenwoods Spa in Essex for £69, saving up to 51% off full price.

The deal includes a spa day experience with full access to all the facilities, as well as a two-course lunch.

Meal options include a pan-roasted chicken supreme, pork loin or fish of the day for main, as well as a mango cheesecake or warm chocolate brownie for dessert.

After lunch, settle down for the afternoon in the Greenwoods Spa, where you can have a gentle swim in the pool or a detox in the sauna.

Save up to 51% on a spa day with lunch at Greenwoods Spa – from £69

Overnight spa break in Northamptonshire countryside – £154

This countryside spa retreat in Northamptonshire is the ideal place to go to clear your mind.

Stay in the rustic York Cottage Spa in a spacious king-sized suite, and make use of the spa with its swimming pool, sauna, and relaxation zones.

This deal is for two people, and also includes a traditional afternoon tea and cosy, fluffy robes to borrow.

Outside of your vibrant green countryside surroundings, you could head into the market town of Wellingborough to soak up its history.

Book an overnight spa break for two at York Cottage Spa for £154 (£77pp)

FORGET garden centres, DIY jobs and lazy weekends at home – a growing number of Brits are flying to European cities for just a few hours before heading home the very same day.

Called “extreme day tripping,” the new trend is thanks to cheap return flights costing less than a meal out.

These adventurous travellers manage to squeeze in croissants in Paris, canal cruises in Amsterdam and pizza in Milan without booking a hotel room.

Lisa Houston, from Edinburgh, caught the extreme day trip bug after taking her son to Paris in January.

“My son had recently split up from his girlfriend and I wanted to give him something completely different to look forward to,” she said.

“He hadn’t been abroad since he was seven, so I surprised him with a day trip to Paris.

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“We saw Les Invalides: Napoleon’s Tomb, sailed down the Seine, ate croissants in a little Parisian cafe and stood gazing at the Eiffel Tower. He absolutely loved it.”

The pair flew out at 7am and returned home the same evening.

“The flights were about £100 each, but you can often get them much cheaper,” Lisa said. “It was enough time to enjoy the city without feeling rushed.”

The trip sparked a love for Lisa and has since ticked off Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Milan and Dublin, with Barcelona, Paris and Poland still to come later this year.

One of her biggest bargains was Copenhagen, where she managed to secure return flights for just £34.

After spotting photos of the colourful waterfront district of Nyhavn on Instagram, Lisa booked the trip and spent the day exploring the Danish capital.

“By lunchtime I was sitting outside a cafe with Nyhavn behind me,” she said.

Despite the early starts – often leaving home before 3am to catch the first flight – Lisa insists it’s worth every minute.

“I treat the whole day as the adventure, not just being in the destination,” she said.

Like other Extreme Day Trippers, Lisa gets some inspiration from a Facebook Group of like-minded people but said the appeal fitting in holidays around busy schedules.

“I’ve got a busy job, a granddaughter living with me, elderly parents and caring responsibilities,” she said.

“Sometimes I just need a day that’s all about me. Telling people that I’m ‘off to Paris to have lunch’ is my vibe these days.”

She estimates most of her trips cost around £150 in total, including flights, food and attractions.

“I think it’s brilliant value for money – in a couple of hours you’re somewhere you’ve never been before, seeing things you’ve only dreamed of. That’s priceless.”

Another Extreme Day Tripper is Emily Benham from Essex, who recently flew to Pisa with her daughter for the day.

“We left home at 4am and arrived in Pisa at 11am,” she said.

“Our flights were £125 each – I would have preferred them to be £75 or under as I think part of the fun is keeping it as cheap as possible but my daughter chose the destination and it was worth it.”

“A highlight was seeing the Leaning Tower for the first time. It was breath-taking.”

The pair spent eight hours exploring the city, visiting the cathedral, eating pizza and wandering the back streets before heading home that evening.

“It was my first extreme day trip and I’ve already booked another one to Frankfurt with my brother and sister,” she said.

For Cassie Goodfellow, from Bathgate, an extreme day trip was the perfect way to celebrate turning 40.

After spotting inspiration online, she booked a return flight to Copenhagen and spent 12 hours exploring the city solo.

“Most people thought I was a bit crazy,” she admitted.

“They couldn’t understand why I’d travel abroad for just a day or the fact I was doing it solo, But the memories and experience made it worthwhile.”

Flights cost just £63 return, while her total spend for the day came to around £160.

“The highlight was wandering Copenhagen’s beautiful streets and landmarks,” she said.

“I was surprised by how much I managed to fit into one day.”

Looking back, she says it was one of the best things she has ever done.

“There’s something exciting about proving you can have a meaningful travel experience in a single day,” she said.

“I’m already thinking about where to go next.”

ONE of the UK’s prettiest islands has been forced to ban people travelling there once a week.

Ulva is home to just 16 people but after it starred on a TV show, has experienced ‘unprecedented interest’ by tourists.

In a bid to control the number of people visiting the small Scottish island, the local and only ferry service has announced it will not run on Sundays.

Ulva is an island in the Inner Hebrides of Scotland found off the west coast of the Isle of Mull.

The island receives an influx of visitors during the spring and summertime – but this year has had more than ever.

This is a result of the TV show, Banjo & Ro’s Grand Island Hotel being aired on BBC Scotland and iPlayer.

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Banjo and Ro who hail from Australia appeared on the series renovating Ulva House – a Regency home that will open as a hotel.

Since the show aired, the island has become much busier – so much so that the ferry operator has decided to close on certain days.

The ferry is the only way to get to Ulva as it crosses the strait from Mull in around 5-minutes.

The foot passenger ferry operates on weekdays from 9am to 5.30pm and does not operate on Saturdays.

In recent news, the ferry announced it will no longer carry passengers across on Sundays either.

In a recent post, it said: “None of us could have predicted how significant the increase in the numbers of visitors would be, so to give ourselves, the Boathouse [restaurant] and fellow islanders the chance to recharge and prepare for the week ahead, we have made the difficult decision not to open Sundays this summer.”

For those who have already pre-booked a trip to the island in June, July or August, the ferry operator has said that it will still help visitors across.

Banjo and Ro already run The Boathouse on Ulva, a restaurant where visitors can pick up a coffee or local fish dishes.

The island is car-free island with cliffs, moorlands, woodland as well as quiet beaches and bays.

Talking to Sun Travel about the island, Banjo described it as “another world” and there’s plenty of wildlife to spot too.

Banjo said: “We’ve got otters, dolphins and seals swimming by, and one ferry you can take from Ulva is called Turus Mara which goes to the Treshnish Isles, it’s home to puffins.

“Often we go there for a puffin picnic just to sit with them, that’s one of our favourite things to do.

“There are more cows than people too so you’re likely to see a lot of them. And you’ve got a great chance of seeing the Northern Lights when the sun goes down.”

When it comes to activities on the island, of course Banjo suggests stopping at The Boathouse for a “pre-walk coffee” then a walk to Ormaig.

Here is where there are ruins of the island’s villages.

Another attraction is Livingston’s Cave, and nearby you’ll see “gorgeous view of Inch Kenneth where the Mitford sisters used to live”.

Then Banjo said: “Head back to The Boathouse for lunch – we serve fresh langoustines, crab and lobster which you can enjoy with a fresh bottle of wine.”